Setting boundaries: Mukwonago and Vernon seek agreement leading to their futures as friendly neighbors

MUKWONAGO - From each side of the proverbial fence, the town of Vernon and the village of Mukwonago have taken a neighborly look at the future.

What they see, among other things, is how harmonious relations between them can help as that future unfolds. That, in essence, is the impetus behind a boundary agreement town and village officials are now discussing.

The task now at hand is to put the details into a document that officials hope will keep their neighborly relations cordial while they plan ahead, particularly as development drives changes in land uses along their respective boundaries.

Why now?

Historically, the town and village, which share a north/south border, on Mukwonago's eastern edge, have been neighbors. That's nothing new. So the timing of the discussions itself is insignificant, officials said.

But the idea of a formal boundary agreement eventually had to be considered — like something on a "to-do list" without obvious urgency, but nonetheless important, said Thomas Bird, chairman of the Vernon Town Board.

After recently negotiating with Waukesha County to administer its own zoning code, a key part of a municipal planning process, border agreements "were next up on the list," Bird said.

From Mukwonago's perspective, it's the same story. Village administrator John Weidl, who noted the village has worked with other municipalities in the past with similar ideas in mind, said that, for no particular reason, the two jurisdictions decided to open talks.

"We have boundary agreements with all the surrounding municipalities besides Vernon," Weidl said. "It's a lengthy, complicated process, so (talks with Vernon) made its way into the shuffle and the list of priorities."

"It's a lot of cocktail napkin stuff at first," said Weidl, regarding early discussions and ideas in the process, "just getting ideas down and (to) figure out what (each municipality) is trying to accomplish."

Future thinking

While the timing isn't critical, the times ahead could be, officials said.

The town of Vernon also has to consider its future if it wants to have a future, Bird said, given that township lands are prone to annexation when land owners petition to a neighboring incorporated municipality.

"As a town, we are the lowest one on the food chain," Bird said. "Anybody in the town can annex to any village that's on our border. This (agreement effort) is to solidify our borders for planning and for the future, so that the town of Vernon can be here a hundred years from now."

That's not to say the town is critical of Mukwonago.

"Mukwonago has been a great community," he said. "A lot of (town residents) enjoy the resources that Mukwonago finds and has."

Though he declined to offer to any specifics, given the ongoing negotiations, Bird said any agreement will be mutually beneficial.

"We have sat down to talk with them to help our planning and their future planning," he said. "With a border agreement, the village and the town (will) now know what areas we can develop."

Bird said the town has seen a growing interest in development in recent years as the economy improved, "and I perceive more coming," he added.

Mukwonago isn't concerned about losing land in annexations, but it is concerned about orchestrated development, Weidl explained.

"We're doing this because it's good business," Weidl said. "It's a good business to know where our boundaries are. I know that the town is looking for some security. ... I can't speak for them, but somewhere over there has got to be thinking that in the next 20, 30, 50 years, they may be thinking about incorporating, making sure that all your land doesn't get annexed off over time to the surrounding incorporated municipalities."

Saying the village has "great relationships with all of our neighbors," he added that Mukwonago itself benefits from such agreements in terms of planning — for instance, when and where to extend water and sewer utilities in boundary areas.

"It's a future-focused document," Weidl said. "It's something that's going to help both of us in our plans for economic development, but also for the provision of basic services. Being able to know ultimately where we are planning for water and sewer is big for us. And it's important because that type of infrastructure is a multi-million dollar investment."

In process

The process itself, while complex enough to consume a lot of time with its details, still basically involves each government selecting representatives to touch on the various points.

They get together every two or three months to discuss points and ideas.

Bird said the talks have been "cordial" and "open."

"Each community understands what the other one wants," he said.

From the start, "everyone was very open-minded," Weidl concurred. "Basically, we just wanted to assure each municipality that they're ultimately going to understand where their geographic boundaries are."

Though the final compact will still have to be vetted through public hearings, he said the process is advancing significantly at this point.

"We've been closing in. I think are very, very close to a document that both communities will take to their respective boards," Weidl said.

The process is expected to take another three to six months, he added.

"Bottom line, things are going well," Weidl said. "Both communities — at least the leadership in the communities — want this to happen."